


The Racist and the Goddess

by hbxplain



Series: More Lives Than One [9]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), More Lives Than One, Original Work
Genre: Against Elves, Anla Angst, Anla's POV, Fantasy Racism, Finnaela Raegan As A God, Finny Angst, Finny Loves The Crew, Gen, THe LOOPS, Written by Haven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-28 21:29:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20432735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hbxplain/pseuds/hbxplain
Summary: Neither is what they say.(Finny doesn't hate Anla. She just loves the crew more.)





	The Racist and the Goddess

**Author's Note:**

> A Reminder: this is from our dnd campaign, MLTO! The full campaign can be found on wattpad on the account "stormcause."

"Anla!" Finnaela calls, flagging her down, and Anla halts her passage through the palace halls as a small smile grows on her face. Perhaps now Finny will praise her for finding the Chosen; they'll have a victory dinner, or something, and finally take some time for themselves to just… relax.

Finnaela never relaxes. Anla hates it.

"Your Divinity?" Anla asks, only partially kidding. She doesn't deify Finny, because another toxic relationship is the last thing she needs, but she at least admits that her life has been loads better since she stumbled upon the fake goddess meditating in that temple.

_("So what makes them so special?" she asks._

_Finnaela shrugs. "They’re like me," she replies, and the pain in her eyes is just so **human. **Er, humanoid, Anla supposes. Regardless, she's beginning to suspect that Her Divinity's… well… **divinity **is more of a ruse than anything else._

_No god has ever made Anla feel as comfortable as she is now._

_If Finny's Chosen are just like her, then Anla cannot wait to meet them.)_

"Thank you for bringing them in," Finny begins, and Anla's chest puffs out, but then the 'goddess' continues. "However, I must ask that you leave the palace--or, at the very least, confine yourself to your room, only visiting the dining room and the like when the Chosen are out on missions."

Anla's jaw drops.

"What- You're kidding."

"I'm not. I'm sorry, Anla, but my Chosen-"

"Oh, it's _always _about them, huh?" She feels something large and intrusive growing in her chest, clenching around her heart, exploding up through her throat. Betrayal? Hurt? Grief? All three. She knows them too well to mistake them for anything else. "Chosen this, Chosen that, those losers are all you ever talk about!”  
"They're my _family, _Anla," Finnaela says lowly, and for only a moment, Anla hesitates. But-

"And you're _mine!" _Anla screams, and she hates the tears falling from her eyes.

It's silent. Finnaela looks shocked, and Anla hates it. Hates that Finny doesn't care as much as _she _does.

"You're a racist," Finnaela says weakly, pointing to her elf ears.

Anla scoffs. "Yeah, and you're a goddess. Cut the crap, Fin." She pauses. "I thought we were friends."

"We… We were."

"But not anymore, huh? Not since you've got your preferred company back beside you?"

"… Anla."

"No. Shove off, _your divinity. _I'll go. Maybe the next family I find won't cast me out for a bunch of morons."

She heads for the doors, pushing it open and hating the familiarity of the creaking sound it makes. She takes a deep breath and wipes her eyes.

"But I doubt it."

☼☼☼

"Anla!" Finnaela calls, flagging her down, and Anla halts her passage through the palace halls as a small smile grows on her face. Perhaps now Finny will praise her for finding the Chosen; sure, it was a bit of a sloppy arrival, but they arrived all the same, didn't they?

"Your Divinity?" Anla asks, only partially kidding. She doesn't deify Finny, because another toxic relationship is the last thing she needs, but she at least admits that her life has been loads better since she stumbled upon the fake goddess meditating in that temple.

"Due to… circumstances," Finnaela says, looking uncomfortable, "you must go. I appreciate everything you have done for my cause, and I am… apologetic about your departure."

It's silent.

"What the _hell, _Finny!?"

Finnaela winces, and Anla almost feels bad but doesn't. "Anla, please-"

"No, don't- _Why, _Fin?"

"My Chosen are uncomfortable with-"

"Oh, Chosen this, Chosen-"

"You hurt my family, Anla! That is unacceptable, _surely _you realize this!"

Anla is shocked into silence. After several seconds, however, her fury returns tenfold. "What about me, Fin?"

_(She cares about these Chosen, really, she does. Because Finny cares about them, and that- that should be enough._

_But it isn't. She's jealous. She hates it._

_"So," Anla says, and Finny looks up at her with wide, excited eyes. Finny is never this happy. Usually she is melancholy at best, peering through a magical telescope-equivalent or tinkering with the complicated technology in the console room. Anla almost hates to bring this up, to distract her… but she has to know. "What's the plan for after they're settled, Fin? We should take a day off. We could hang out in Phandalin or something, get dinner."_

_Finnaela pauses in her pacing, tilting her head, and she looks almost guilty. **Gods, **Anla hates it. "Oh. No, of course- I suppose, once I've put everything back in its place, we… we could do something."_

_Anla hates herself for pushing. She pushes regardless. "We won't be able do anything after you 'put everything in its place,' Fin. I meant **before **the suicide pact thing. Aren't we gonna… celebrate, or whatever?"_

_Finnaela looks sad all of a sudden, and Anla hates it, hates it, hates it. "I don't know," Finnaela finally says. "I'd certainly like to."_

_Anla knows that, at least, is genuine. She supposes it will have to be enough.)_

"Anla, I'm sorry. This is how it has to be."

Anla wipes her eyes and leaves.

☼☼☼

"Anla," Finny calls quietly, grabbing her arm, and Anla is a little too confused to get her hopes up.

"Your Divinity?" she asks. She likes being in the loop. She doesn't like Finnaela locking her in the dining room and taking things into her own hands without any prior planning.

"Let's have lunch," Finny says, and Anla supposes she can roll with the punches, just this once.

Minutes later, they're seated beside each other in the dining hall. The gods have cleared out, and the Chosen are gods-or, rather, _Finny _knows where. Anla likes when the dining hall is mostly empty. When they're alone, Finny foregoes her 'throne' in favor of a regular seat beside Anla, and the two can lean in and chat in a way that feels a lot warmer than when Finnaela is confined to the table's head.

"Anla," Finnaela begins, and Anla tilts her head curiously.

"Your Divinity?" she replies, a little more mockingly this time.

"You… You know I… _appreciate _you, right?"

"Sure," she shrugs, popping a chicken nugget into her mouth.

"Good. And you know… how grateful I am that you have helped me find them?"

_Them. _Yeah, she knows. Anla nods.

"Lovely. Anla…"

Anla is confused, but not too much to get her hopes up.

_("You've been keeping this a secret from everyone!?" Anla asks, wide-eyed as she peers around what Finny describes as a 'rec room.' _

_"You're the only one that knows," Finnaela says proudly, hands on her hips as she surveys the room. It looks surprisingly unused, for how much Finny appreciates it. "The other gods have no clue. This is where I spend most of my time in the palace, actually. My study is a room or two over."_

_Anla internally rolls her eyes at the word 'other,' but she's still impressed. "Wow, Fin. I feel special."_

_"You are," Finny says, and seems to immediately regret it. Anla doesn't regret a single thing. "Um..," Finny coughs, lowering her head, "would you like to play in the training room?"_

_"Play?"_

_"Well, yes. It's for teambuilding, supposedly, but we rarely used it for that."_

_Immediately, Anla's mood sours. 'We.' This was theirs. The Chosen's. They and Finny must have had the times of their lives down here--no wonder Finny never uses the place. It holds too many memories._

_"Oh," Anla says, but she forcefully clears her head. Ansenia would be proud. "Yeah. Sure, whatever."_

_It's fun, actually, more so than Anla expected it to be. It picks up even further when she's finally able to brush aside the intruding feeling that she is only **their **replacement. She and Finnaela have a good time, and Anla is **happy. **They make it to the trust fall exercise before Anla begins to tire of actually doing things. Still, she holds out her arms to catch Finny._

_Finny jumps, and Anla catches her.)_

"I need you to leave."

Her jaw drops. "Uh, _pardon?"_

Finny holds up her hands placatingly. "Not- I mean- You meet with your, ah, generals in the building by the lake, yes? And there are extra rooms there? I'll deck the place out with whatever comforts or décor you desire, I promise. I'll visit as much as I am able, given the mission, and it'll be as though nothing has changed. All right?"

"_No, _Fin, _not _alright!" Anla shouts, standing up rather abruptly and shoving her chair back. "What the _hell!? _I- Oh my gods. It's because of your 'Chosen,' isn't it? Chosen this, Chosen tha-"

☼☼☼

"Anla," Finny calls. She sounds tired.

Anla turns around, concerned despite herself. Shouldn't Finnaela be… overjoyed? These fools are all she ever talks about, but now she only sounds discouraged. Anla is, admittedly… worried.

"Your Divinity?" she asks softly, and Finny's expression nearly breaks her heart.

_("Your Divinity?"_

_"I just miss them," Finny sniffles, messily wiping her face with her sleeve. "You don't- You don't understand, Anla. They were all I had left, and now- I just want them back. I just want them to **know **me."_

_Anla sighs. She doesn't understand, but she wants to. "We'll find them, Fin, promise." She gives her friend--family?--a mischievous smirk. "And then I'll get those assholes back to you, one way or another."_

_Finny smacks Anla's arm lightly, offended._

_But she's laughing.)_

"I'm so sorry," Finny says. She's crying. Without thinking, Anla moves forward and tries to hug her. 

Finnaela pushes her away.


End file.
